1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an activation control apparatus, an image processing apparatus, an activation control method, and an activation control program, and more particularly to an activation control apparatus, an image processing apparatus, an activation control method, and an activation control program that conduct activation control in view of voltage fluctuation of a power source caused by an apparatus and its peripheral apparatuses when activating the apparatus and its peripherals.
2. Background Art
Image processing apparatuses such as facsimile machines, copiers, printers, or multifunction peripherals (MFPs) and information processing apparatuses such as computers are typically supplied with power from external power sources. When a power switch of the apparatus is turned ON, a power unit of the apparatus is supplied with power from the external power source, and the power unit conducts various processes such as current rectification and voltage adjustment to the power supplied from the external power source, and then supplies power to each unit in the apparatus to conduct various operations.
When the power supply from the external power source is started by turning the power switch of the apparatus to ON from OFF, voltage of the external power source decreases, and this voltage decrease is referred to as voltage fluctuation hereinafter.
The voltage fluctuation may or may not affect operation of the apparatus supplied with power from the external power source. An allowable fluctuation range of power source voltage that does not affect apparatus operation varies depending on the apparatus, but typical allowable fluctuation ranges are known.
For example, when a fusing unit of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus is activated, more power is required in a short period of time to activate the image forming apparatus. In this case, the voltage of the external power source fluctuates during that short period of time.
In general, when one apparatus such as an image forming apparatus is activated, the voltage fluctuation of the external power source is within the allowable fluctuation range of power source voltage.
However, when a plurality of apparatuses is activated at the same time, such as the simultaneous activation of a plurality of apparatuses after a blackout or the simultaneous activation of a plurality of apparatuses by timer setting, the voltage fluctuation of the external power source may exceed the allowable fluctuation range, possibly causing apparatus malfunction.
In view of this problem, JP-2008-154356-A discloses an apparatus including an in-progress signal transmitting unit and an in-progress signal receiving unit. The in-progress signal transmitting unit transmits a signal indicating that activation is in progress, and the in-progress signal receiving unit determines whether a signal indicating that activation is in progress, transmitted from the in-progress signal transmitting unit of other apparatus, connected with each other by a power line, is received.
In JP-2008-154356-A, a signal indicating that one apparatus is being activated is transmitted to another apparatus connected via the power line, and an activation control procedure is conducted by activating the apparatuses one by one to reduce excessive power consumption.
In JP-2008-154356-A, apparatuses connected to the same external power source can be activated one by one to prevent excessive power consumption. However, the greater the number of apparatuses supplied with power from the same external power source, the longer the time required to complete the activation of all of the apparatuses, which is not convenient.